RPO dissidents form opposition slate

Supporters of conductor Arild Remmereit have formed a slate
of opposition candidates for membership on the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
board of directors and will try to get them elected at the RPO's annual meeting
on Wednesday afternoon.

Leaders of the dissidents are urging other RPO members who
are Remmereit supporters to attend the meeting or to fill out a proxy ballot.

According to the RPO bylaws, nominations for board positions
must be presented to the RPO board secretary by October 31. But Ray Grosswirth,
spokesperson for the opposition group, said this morning that the bylaws
contain a clause that allows presentation of an alternate slate "if there is
sufficient legal cause."

Remmereit's supporters will argue that such a cause exists,
Grosswirth said: no one knew that in November, the board would terminate the
contract of the popular Remmereit.

If RPO board leaders don't permit the presentation of the
alternate slate at Wednesday's meeting, Grosswirth said, the dissidents are
prepared to pursue legal action.

At that meeting -- which is at 5 p.m. at Hatch Hall in the
Eastman Theatre complex -- RPO members will elect eight directors. The
dissidents' slate consists of six nominees: Eileen Buholtz and Edward Fiandach,
both of whom are attorneys; former Brighton Supervisor Sandra Frankel; media
consultant Ray Grosswirth; Hobart Lerner, an ophthalmologist; and database and
software consultant John Lovenheim.